New Southside garden on Chicago Ave

In the Powderhorn and CANDO neighborhoods, right on 34th and Chicago, is a new community garden. Located just next to the new South City Cafe, the garden has been the scene of many participants. They are busy almost every day, digging, planting, watering, and now, actually harvesting vegetables and flowers. A Latino boy, Brian, one of our most reliable gardeners, got the first radish last Monday! The garden is the vision of Silvia Perez and the group Mujeres en Accion y Poder, in conjunction with Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association. Silvia, Veronica, Katie and Kathleen have coordinated the effort, with huge contributions from many community members. The city of Minneapolis threw in a truckload of compost, and many volunteers have contributed rototilling, plants, seeds and tools.

The immediate benefits of the garden are clear from a community viewpoint: new acquaintances, children and adults sharing leadership, and above all, the replacement of an eyesore vacant lot. The old eyesore is now a large plot of vegetables and flowers, in an affirmation of neighborhood and community. Melodie, an owner of the Southside cafe, says she receives many compliments on the garden from people who say things like, "It's about time this neighborhood got something like this."

The garden has group efforts on Saturday, and indivually assigned work nights. Most decisions are reached by consensus, and we share the use of both Spanish and English. The diversity and good will of this community effort continue, despite some plant loss and erosion from last week's near-record rainfalls. We hope to tell you more in another article soon.

For information or to volunteer contact Katie at PNNA 612-722-4817 or katie@pnna.org. Silvia at Mujeres 612-724-7457 or spthalia1103@gmail.com.